Afterward, Ye Qingchen boarded the Spirit Boat with the seniors from the Central Celestial Academy, Zi Xing, and a few others to return to the academy. Once he was on the boat, however, he could no longer hold out and collapsed to the deck.

Zi Xing rushed to support Ye Qingchen, frantically pulling out a Spirit Pill from her storage ring and personally feeding it to him.

The other students from the academy were jealous of Zi Xing’s flurry of actions. However, their jealousy was gradually quelled when they remembered Ye Qingchen’s stunning performance in the Sect’s newcomer competition, where he had single-handedly fought three lower-tier demons to save numerous fellow humans.

The elder, however, seemed quite surprised. He looked at Zi Xing thoughtfully and shook his head without asking any questions.

Ye Qingchen had only fainted because the Saint Heir’s powerful aura had struck him, aggravating his severe injuries and causing his qi and blood to surge chaotically. After taking Zi Xing’s Spirit Pill, his condition slowly began to improve. Combined with his own terrifying regenerative abilities, he was fully recovered in just one day.

During that day, Zi Xing stayed by Ye Qingchen’s side the entire time. The anxious look on her face only subtly faded the moment Ye Qingchen opened his eyes.

Ye Qingchen took a deep breath, stood up, and bowed to Zi Xing. "Thank you for your Spirit Pill, Senior Sister Zi Xing."

Zi Xing smiled and replied, "You don’t need to be so formal with me, Junior Brother Ye. If we’re talking about Spirit Pills, I’m the one who owes you quite a few."

Clearly not wanting to linger on the topic, Zi Xing began to introduce the elder to Ye Qingchen. "Junior Brother Ye, this is Teacher Zi Bu, the former Vice Dean of Ferocious Fire Academy. He is currently stationed in Eternal City. After Sister Xue Zhao and I left, I immediately contacted Teacher Zi Bu, and we came back to rescue you all."

Hearing Zi Xing’s introduction, Zi Bu shook his head with a hint of resignation. "Dear child, I didn’t mind you calling me Teacher Zi Bu at the academy, but now that we’re outside, I’d much prefer you call me Uncle."

Showing a rare playful side, Zi Xing replied, "Understood, Uncle."

Ye Qingchen hadn’t expected this powerful figure from the Central Celestial Academy to be Zi Xing’s uncle. It seemed her background was not so simple. However, Ye Qingchen wasn’t one to pry into the private lives of others. Zi Xing had deliberately omitted her relationship with Zi Bu during the introduction, so she likely had her reasons.

With this in mind, Ye Qingchen bowed to Zi Bu and said, "Thank you for saving my life, Teacher Zi Bu."

Zi Bu waved his hand dismissively. "You are all disciples of the Central Celestial Academy. As a member of the academy, it’s my duty to protect you."

Disliking the formal exchange, Zi Xing asked Zi Bu, "Uncle, what exactly are these members of the Demon Clan that have appeared? And why are they so formidable?"

Zi Bu sighed. While steering the Spirit Boat, he began to explain, "Long, long ago, the Demon Clan invaded our Heaven Desolate Continent. At that time, the continent was still whole, but the war with the Demon Clan shattered it into its current state."

"What?"

Zi Bu’s words caused everyone, including Ye Qingchen, to cry out in shock. The Heaven Desolate Continent was immeasurably vast, yet it had once been a single landmass. To think a war could have been so ferocious as to shatter such a colossal continent into its current, fragmented state was inconceivable.

Zi Bu sighed again and continued, "I learned all of this from the Sect’s ancient records. The members of the Demon Clan are innately bloodthirsty and caused boundless carnage across the Heaven Desolate Continent back then. Later, numerous human powerhouses rose up and finally managed to repel them. However, although we defeated the Demon Clan, countless human experts were sacrificed. It was a pyrrhic victory."

Zi Xing pressed on, "Then if they were repelled, why has the Demon Clan reappeared from Eternal City this time?"

Zi Bu shook his head. "The Demon Clan is far more powerful than you can imagine. Even though they were defeated back then, it was impossible to annihilate them completely. The combined efforts of countless human titans only managed to seal the passage to the human continent. Eternal City is the site of the final barrier that sealed the Demon Clan away."

Upon hearing Zi Bu’s explanation, Ye Qingchen silently nodded. That explains why Eternal City became the most bustling place. The major sects likely set up their branches there to guard against the Demon Clan. However, so much time has passed that many people have already forgotten the events of that era.

As if to confirm Ye Qingchen’s suspicions, Zi Bu continued, "The great sects and factions all made a pact back then to leave a contingent of their top experts in Eternal City to guard against another Demon Clan invasion. But after countless years, it seems everyone has forgotten the Demon Clan even exists. I never thought that after so many years of silence, they would make a comeback now. I’m afraid the Heaven Desolate Continent is about to be plunged into a storm of blood and slaughter!"

At his words, Zi Xing and the others lowered their heads gravely. After witnessing the power of the Demon Clan and hearing Zi Bu’s explanation, they were only now beginning to realize that the situation was far more serious than they had imagined.

Seeing their downcast expressions, Zi Bu let out a hearty laugh. "You don’t need to worry too much. The top experts of the human race are already rushing to Eternal City. The Demon Clan is a problem for the powerful leaders of the Heaven Desolate Continent to deal with. As for you all, you should return and focus on your cultivation. For now, these matters are beyond your ability to handle."

After saying this, Zi Bu fell silent and focused on piloting the Spirit Boat toward the Central Celestial Academy.

After all, in many situations, the words of others have little effect. One has to reach their own understanding to truly face the issue. These youngsters have witnessed the power of the Demon Clan. If they can’t move past this on their own, they might live their entire lives in that shadow.

At the moment, however, Ye Qingchen wasn’t too concerned about the Demon Clan. Just as Zi Bu had said, that was a matter for the upper echelons of the human race to handle; it wasn’t his place to worry about it. What occupied his mind most right now was a sense of regret. The Sect’s newcomer competition was in its final stages. He had been on the verge of breaking into the top twenty and securing a spot to visit the ten Ancient Clans. Securing that spot meant he would be one step closer to rescuing Qin Yue. But he never expected a war with the Demon Clan to erupt at this moment, leaving his plans in ruins.

It seems I’ll have to find another way through Elder Yang!